Device for sharpening razor-blades.



R. H. STRONG. DEVICE FOR SHARPENING RAZOR BLADES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1910.

L 1 31 9 1 Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60., FHOTO-LITHIL. WASHINGTON. u. u,

para

ROBERT H. STRONG, OF GALESBURG, ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR SHARPENING RAZOR-BLADES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915..

Application filed June 29, 1910. Serial No. 569,495.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, ROBERT H. STRONG, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Galesburg, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in De vices for Sharpening Razor-Blades, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for honing and stropping razor blades.

The device for sharpening razor blades made to accord with my invention has a suitable base with which is appropriately associated a platform or support for a stropping or honing element of suitable shape, there being present camming surfaces or trips which are located to be engaged by a razor blade carrier to lift the same, said camming surfaces or trips being maintained by the platform or support for the stropping or honing element. The base has connected thereto an oscillatory bar and a fixed guide to which the bar is associated by a suitable loop, the oscillatory arm having mounted thereon a swinging razor blade carrier that is forced toward the sharpening element by a spring, there also being present a handle for manually oscillating the bar; which handle serves to press the jaws of the razor blade carrier toward each other to clamp the razor blade between the jaws. In the device illustrated when the arm and handle are oscillated the blade carrier will be drawn over the major portion of the sharpening element but before the edge of the blade reaches the end of the sharpening element the blade and the blade carrier will be lifted by reason of a part on the blade carrier engaging with trips or fixtures which lift and carry the blade carrier beyond the sharpening element and when the blade carrier is beyond the trip or lifter it will swing on the arm to substantially vertical position and a reverse movement of the arm and handle will reverse its inclination so that the blade can be drawn over the sharpening surface.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, in which- Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of a safety razor blade sharpening device made in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 illustrates a side elevation projected from Fig. 1; Fig. 3 illustrates a plan View of a modified form of the hone and strop carrier; F1g. 4 illustrates a front elevation of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 illustrates an edge view of the hone or strop detached; Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the blade carrier; and Fig. 7 illustrates a view of one form of blade.

In these drawings 1 denotes a base to which there is connected a bar or arm 2, the said bar or arm having an angularly disposed end which extends into the base and is pivoted thereto, the said bar extending free of the upper surface of the base and being movable thereover owing to the pivotal connection of the end of the bar with the base. A curved guide 3 has its ends 4i anchored to the base in any appropriate way, the said ends being specifically shown as having threads for the reception of the nuts 5 and 6 which nuts engage the lower and upper surfaces of the base respectively for the purpose of holding the guide 3. A spring has one of its ends secured to the bar 2 at its junction with the base and said spring extends approximately parallel with the said bar and has its outer end bifurcated to permit the spring to lie in either one of the transversely disposed recesses 8 which are formed in the blade holder 9, the said blade holder having a tubular head to receive the bar 2 and being provided with clamping sides which are provided for engaging a blade 10. The blade holder is further provided with a lip 11 for a purpose to be presently explained. A. loop 12 is slidable on the spring 7 and on the bar 2 and is provided for the purpose of increasing or diminishing the pressure of the spring on the blade holder. The bar 2 is further provided with a guiding member 13 which has apertures to receive the bar and has a looped portion extending around the guide 3 whereby the said bar is maintained in operative relation to the guide while oscillating with relation to the base.

The blade holder 9 is provided with a handle 14 which handle has a split socket 15 adapted to fit over the tubular head of the blade holder, the said socket being of resilient metal in order that it may be sprung on the blade holder and in order too that it will grip the blade holder for the purpose of retaining the handle and blade holder in operative relation.

- after said lip is releasedfrom The base 1 is provided with crossed arms or brackets 16 and 17, which extend beyond the base to maintain the hone and strop supporting member and to maintain the. base above the plane of the table or other support. One of the arms adjacent to its outer end is cut away to provide a space for a wing or thumb-nut, and above the cutaway portion projects'a' plate which'has a curved slot 18 for the passage of a bolt that engages the support 19; The arm 17 crosses the arm 16 and is connected to the hone and strop supporting member by a screw, and the curve of the slot is concentric with such screw, the construction providing'for adjusting the part 1-9 to be parallel with the guide. This means 'ofadjusting the platform is desirable as the arms 16 and 17 are attached to the base-which-maintains the guide 3, and if the parts are not assembled correctly in the first instance adjustment of the platform 19 will rectify the error.

I The member'19 is provided with a double faced abrading block- 19 which has two plates 20 and 21 secured to its inner edge, the said plates 20 and 21 being flared in width toward their outer ends for portions of their lengths and then tapered so that in producing the plates 20 and 21 camming surfaces are formed which are adapted to be engaged by the lip 11 of the blade holder. As the blade holder is'moved to the right of Fig 1' the blade in the blade holder will be in engagement with a surf-ace of the abradingblock until the lip 11 engages the camming surface of the plate 21 and owing to the said engagement the' lip 11 will" ride up the inclined surface of the plate thus elevating the blade out of contact with the upper surface against the action of the spring 7. After the lip- 11 has passed the widest point ofthe plate 21 which is in such relation tothe endof the holder for the abrading material as topermit the blade to swing 'ree of the end of the said abrading mate rial or sharpening surface, the lip travels clown the. tapered edge of the said plate and the plate, the spring eX'erts pressure thereon to cause it to swing to a position practically at right angles to the surface of the abrading material. When the parts are in the position just indicated, therefore, and themember 2 isswun to a position toward the left hand of Fig. 1, the plate 21' will engagethe opposite surface of the lip 11 of the blade carrier andtherefore the said blade carrier will be swung to a position opposite to that which it occupied when it was moved over the abrading surface inthe first mentioned direction thus presenting to the abrading surface that side of the cutting edge of the blade opposite to that which is operated on by the first mentioned movement and,

abrading surface, the

blade is acted upon on opposite sides alternately, it being understood that the plate 20 is engaged by the lip 11 of the blade holder and the operation with relation thereto is the same as that described in connection with the plate 21. The abrading block 19 is held on the holder by means of cars 19 which project upwardly from the holder and have apertures to receive the pins 19 of the block. The holder is also provided with one hook 19 which engages one of the ears.

The modified holder 20, see Figs. 3 and 1, for the abrading material is provided with a series of cars 22 which enter recesses 23 in the abrading material which abrading material is indicated by the numeral. 2-land the holder for the abra ding material is also provided with a series of clips 25 which are mounted on the pivots 26 secured to the said holder, the said clips having angular extending ends 27 which enter recesses in the edge of the abrading material. By reason of the construction of the holder, the abrading material may have two surfaces that is to say it may have a stropping surface and a honing surface. By reason of the fact that the abrading material is detachably connected to the holder, the faces may be reversed for the purpose of either honing or stropping the blade as occasion demands. In this last mentioned form, the extensions 20 and 21 on the plates are similar to the extensions 20- and 21 heretofore described except that they do not extend below the plane of the lower surface of the holder 20 owing to the fact that the abrading material is reversed with relation to the holder 20'. In using this last mentioned modification the holder20 is applied to the brackets 16 and 17 of the formshown in Fig. 1 as a substitute for the member 19 shown in said figures.

By reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 6 of the drawings, it will be noted that the blade carrier or holder is provided with more than a single recess or slit 8, to receive the bifurcated end of the spring 7, and by providing a plurality of recesses or slits the blade holder or carrier may be maintained in different positions upon the pivoted arm or bar 2, providing for a range of adjustment sufficient to provide for any change of posig tion or adjustment of the platform for the date with this one, and bears Serial Number 569,496.

In both forms or types of my invention and in the several modifications thereof there is present a blade holder or carrier that has on one end a lip or extension for engagement with trips, pins, or projections to efiect a lifting movement of the blade-carrier so that the edge of the blade before reaching the edge or end of the segmental sharpening element is raised and will be car ried beyond the end of such element; and when beyond the same the carrier and blade will swing and will then be oppositely inclined by a reverse movement of the handle before engaging with the sharpening element.

I claim 1. In a device for sharpening razor blades, a base, a flat arcshaped sharpening element associated with the base to be reversible thereon, a curved guide attached to the base, a bar or arm pivotally attached to the base and maintained in engagement with the guide to be oscillated above the sharpening element, a blade-holder maintained in swinging engagement with the bar or arm and resilient means movable with the bar or arm for pressing the blade-holder and a blade carried thereby toward the sharpening element.

2. In a device for sharpening razor blades, a base or frame, a guide maintained in fixed engagement with the base or frame, a support for a sharpening element maintained by the base and provided with a concave edge beyond the guide and parallel therewith, an arm pivoted to the base, means for holding the arm in movable engagement with the guide, a blade-holder or carrier mounted upon the arm to swing thereon, and a spring movable with the arm for engagement with the blade-holder or carrier.

3. In a device of the character set forth, a base, a support for a segmental sharpening element, a segmental sharpening element maintained by said support above the plane of the base, an arm pivoted to the base to extend beyond the sharpening element, a razor blade carrier maintained in oscillatory engagement with the arm, engagement means on the support for the segmental sharpening element with which the razor lade carrier engages to raise the same from the sharpening element when the arm is moved beyond the sharpening element and means for oscillating the razor blade carrier when beyond the engagement means.

4. In a device for sharpening razor blades, a base, a segmental sharpening ele ment associated with the base, an arm attached to the base to be movable over the sharpening element, a razor-blade-holder associated with the arm to swing thereon; and provided with a recess, a spring movable with the arm and provided with a bifurcated end a part of which enters the recess in the blade-holder to prevent longitudinal movement of the blade-holder on the arm and end portions which engage the bladeholder to press the same toward the sharpening element and means maintained to engage with the blade-holder before the same is carried beyond the ends of the sharpening element.

5. In a device for sharpening razor blades, a base, an arm pivoted to the base, a curved guide, means for associating the arm with the guide, a flat spring having bent ends for engagement with the arm, means movable on the arm and the spring for varying the tension of the spring, a razor-blade-carrier maintained in swinging engagement with the arm to be engaged by the spring, a sharpening element and means adjacent to the ends of the sharpening element with which an inner end portion of the razorblade-carrier will engage.

6. In a device for sharpening razor blades, a base or support, an arm pivoted to the base, a curved guide concentric with the pivotal point of the arm, means for associating the arm with the guide, a flat spring having its opposite ends bent; the major portion of the spring overlying the arm, a slidable member which engages with the arm and with the spring, a sharpening member, a razor-blade-holder or carrier mounted upon the arm to be maintained in swinging engagement therewith and to be engaged by the spring and means maintained to be engaged by a part of the razor-blade-holder or carrier.

7 In a device for sharpening razor blades, a base or support, a sharpening element maintained by the base or support, an arm pivoted to the support and of a length to extend over the sharpening element, a flat spring that is movable with the arm, means movable on the arm and the spring for varying the pressure of the spring toward the arm, a razor-blade-carrier mounted upon the arm and engaged by the spring.

8. In a device of the character set forth, an arm which is movable over a sharpening element, a bladecarrier maintained in swinging engagement with the arm, a spring that is movable with the arm, said spring having a bifurcated end for alternate engagement with the opposite sides of the blade-carrier.

9. In a device for sharpening razor blades, a support, an arm mounted to be oscillated upon the support, a razor-bladecarrier comprising a spring clip having a tubular portion for associating the razorblade-carrier with the arm so that it may rock upon the arm, a spring associated with the arm and adapted to hold the razorblade carrier against longitudinal move ment and to press alternately against its opposite sides, and means adjustable upon the spring and arm for varying the pressure of the spring against the razor-blade-carrier.

10. In a device for sharpening razor blades, a base, a support for a sharpening element, means for adjustably attaching the support to the base, a sharpening element which is shaped to present a sector of an annulus, the same being detachably secured to the support, an arm pivoted to the base, a guide for the arm, a razor-blade-carrier associated with the arm to swing thereon and means for preventing longitudinal movement and for pressing the blade-carrier toward the sharpening element.

11. In a razor blade sharpening device, a base, an arm maintained by the base, a segmental guide attached to the base and maintained above the plane thereof, means for associating the arm in movable engagement With the segmental guide, a razor-bladecarrier maintained by the arm, a support for a sharpening element maintained in adjustable relation with the base and a reversible sector of an. annulus shaped sharpening element detachably connected to the support therefor.

12. In a device of the character set forth, a base, an adjustable hone and strop carrying means mounted on the base, a hone and strop having radial ends, said hone or strop being detachably associated with the hone and strop carrying means, a fixed guide maintained by the base, a razor-blade-carrier-arm pivoted to the base and maintained in movable engagement with the fixed guide, means for exerting pressure on the razor-blade-carrier to press the blade carriedthereby toward the hone and strop, the parts being organized so that there will be a reversal of the blade-carrier when moved past the ends of the hone and strop.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT H. STRONG.

Witnesses:

LYMAN P. WILSON, LAKE W. SANBonN.

Copies of thiapatent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 11 0." 

